Game board and apparatus for use therewith



Nov. 21, 1939. F. RSTEARNS 2,180,439

GAME BOARD AND APPARATUS FOR USE THEREWITH Filed sept. 27, 1937 navali PLAY Z 55M: nvr

bnr-fu wmf T 5 5 u :Marzo lf un Runnin 0M BASE ALL STOLEN INVENTOK 717766777077 @5760075 BY wwm" Patented Nov. 21, 1939 UNITED ,STATES yPartnr ortica Application September 27, 1937, Serial No. 165,878y

4 Claims;

This invention relates `to improvements in game boards and apparatus for use therewith.

The main objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a new and improved game board suitable for use in playing a game closely simulating baseball.

Second, to provide a board of the type described and apparatus for use therewith facilitating play.

Third, to provide a game board having indicia thereon for use in playing a game closely simulating baseball, the said indicia being printed or otherwise impressed on one side of the board and the other side thereof vhaving provisions whereby another game may be played. on that side.

Fourth, to provide a board of the type described suitable for playing a game using a number of missiles or rings, the latter sliding on the 20 surface of the board and simulating various plays in baseball.

Fifth, to provide a game board and apparatus for use therewith, said apparatus being inthe form of a projecting device for propelling or board.

Sixth, to provide a projecting vdevice of the type described which is so constructed as to guide and expel rings or other missiles, at the same time restraining the same from movement in any direction other than a desired direction and in sliding relation to the surface of the game board. V

Seventh, to provide a board embodying a novel and approved type of bat or propelling apparatus adapted to be manually operated .by a player.

Eighth, to provide a bat or propelling apparatus for use in connection with 'a board of the type described.

Further objects and advantages pertaining to details and economies of construction and operation will appear from the description tofollow. The invention is pointed out in the claims. A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustra-ted in the accompanying drawing, irl-which:

Fig. l is a view of the board of the invention illustrating the markings thereon for use in playing a game closely simulating baseball.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a projecting or throwing device which I have devised for use in playing the game, the manner of using said device likewise being indicated.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional View through the vthrowing device illustrating details of the i5 construction thereof. f

sliding missiles or rings along the surfaceof the Fig.- i is a perspective View of a missile or ring which is used in playing the game, the same performing, in the game, the functions of a baseball.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a peg such as e5 may be used in connection with the board of the invention for keeping score or recording the numberv of outs. v

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary View in section on line 6 6 of Fig. 1 illustrating details of thepocket S10 construction of batting mechanism found in lthe board of the invention. l

This invention relates to game apparatus, more particularly to game boards such as the type which have been used in playing games l' involving the shooting of a missile along a polished surface bounded by retaining walls. The games of Carroms and Crokinole" are illustrative `of this type of game. It is the object of the present game andthe structure with ,.20 which it is played to simulate not only the physical markings of a baseball elcl, but also to simulate the playing procedure of the game of baseball. 5

Referring to the drawing, the reference nu- ,25 meral l in general indicates a board or panel of plywood or other suitable material having smoothly finished upper and lower surfaces. which are Ybounded on four sides by the border walls 2.' Segments arecut from the corners of .30

thev panel to provide openings 3 across which netting 4 is secured to provide pockets for receivingr the playing pieces or missiles. The surface has printed or otherwise marked thereon a 'number of areas of different size and color. For 4v35 instance, adjacent the retaining walls 2 are pro- 4 vided a number of rectangular green areas 5 arranged `side by side and separated by dividing lines 6 of white or natural color. Just inside Aof this outermostzone there is a series of 40 rectangular areas l which are preferably natural or white in color and separated by green` lines t, and inside the last named series of areas, I provide a square area 9, divided by the white line Iii and the white diagonal area Il into four triangular areas i2 which are colored. green. The said diagonal area is itself divided by green lines into three separate areas. Of course, the coloring of the respective areas is unimportant and the. same may be altered `in any manner. The size of the areas likewise may be altered if desired.

Aside from being colored in one way or another, each of the areas carries designations vindicating one or another sort of play occurring in th game of baseball. For instance, the areas each bear the word Actual along with information as to the type of play made when a missile, rebounding from the bat in a manner to be described, comes to rest therein. Each of the areas 'I is designated by the words Fielding play, indicating that a fielding play is in order when a missile comes to rest in one of those areas. The other areas are similarly designated.

At one of the corners of the board, I pivot a batting or propelling device consisting of a metal strip I3 freely pivo'ted at I4 to the border wall 2 and provided with an upstanding handle I5 adapted to be grasped by a player for angular manipulation into the path of a pitched ball or missile projected by a device to be hereinafter described. The strip I3v carries a pair of depending stops I6 adapted to engage the border wall 2 to limit the angular movement of the bat and the free end of the bat is provided with a depending spring steel finger I'l adapted to be struck by the missile in play whereby to cause the missile to rebound in the direction from which it came, in the manner of a batsman batting aball. The strip I3 `rests on and is guided by an arcuate wire element or other suitable support indicated by the reference numeral III and having offset ends |12 fitting apertures in the retaining walls 2 to mount the guide on the board.

The battingA device is essentially characterized by the fact that only the rebound of the missile therefrom is relied upon to motivate the same. No initial or additional impetus is imparted to the missile by the bat other than the spring rebound of the missile therefrom.

The missile may take the form of any object capable of sliding freely on the surface of the board I, but I preferably form the s ame as a ring or annulus I3. I provide a number of these missiles in various. colors.

For the purpose of projecting the missile toward the bat or propeller I3, I provide a projecting device generally indicated by the numeral I9, said device being a block suitably shaped for ready grasping in the hand of a player, and preferably of oval form. The block is medially slotted at 20 to provide an elongated channel on the side thereof adjacent the board when the projecting deviceis in operative position during play. The said channel is overhung on the upper side of the block by elongated shoulders 2i serving to horizontally guide the players iinger, Which is inserted in the hole of the missile, to prevent upward movement of the missile and to form a path .along which the saine is projected outwardly by means of a rubber band 22 surrounding the block below the said shoulders. A peripheral channel 23 around the side of the block provides a means for locating the rubber ban-d to prevent displacement thereof and to insure that the band engages the missile at its center. The shoulders 2l .are continued outwardly beyond the rubber band 22 as indicated at 2t. Slotr '20 is made suiciently long so that the player is afforded an opportunity to shoot the missiles with any desired speed. It will be appreciated that the annular form of the missile considerably facilitates the operation of the projecting device by allowing the players finger to be inserted therein in order to retract the missile against the band.

The manner of using the projecting device is illustrated in Fig. 2. The ring I8 is retracted in the channel 2D against the projective force of the rubber band by means of the players finger and upon being released is rapidly projected outwardly from the channel across the surface of the board. The projectiles may be projected by snapping with the fingers.

The game may be played by two persons, each representing a side, one of whom manipulates the projecting device I9 and the other of Whom acts as a batter by manipulating the propelling device I5 in an arc transversely of the path of travel of the missile projected by the device I9. It is the object of the person pitching or manipulating the device I9 to strike out the batsman by shooting the rings past the bat, the rings being shot for this purpose from the point 25 on the board designated by the words Actual home run. Of course, the rules for p-lay may be varied and, as a matter of fact, form no part of the inventio-n, but the board has been particularly designed to facilitate playing a game closely following the rules of baseball. In other Words, if the batsman returns a pitched ball to any of the areas marked Actual, then he is credited with having made a play as indicated on that area. If the missile comes to rest on an area marked by the words Fielding play, then it is the turn of the pitcher to determine the nature of the fielding play by endeavoring to strike the batsmansmissile with a special black fielding missile, first causing the fielding missile to carrom off one of the retaining Walls 2 adjacent the batting device. Score is kept as in baseball and I have provided a series of holes 26 in one of the retaining `walls to receive suitable pegs 2'I for this purpose. Likewise, openings 28 in another retaining Wall are provided to receive similar pegs for the purpose of keeping count of the number of outs.

The pockets I4 to the left and right of the batting device and directly opposite the same may be used to receive missiles batted therein. In case the batsman rebounds the missile or ring into any one of the pockets to right or left of or. opposite the batting device, he is credited with having made a single or a home run as the case may be, as designated on the board. The fourth pocket underneath the batting device serves to receive missiles or rings passing by the batting device.

It will be apparent that thesepockets I4 are likewise of value in playing any desired game for which the reverse side of the board lends itself. For instance, the game of baseball as played on the surface in the manner just described may be combined with a surface adapted for playing Carroms or for playing Crokinole or for playing any other suitable game.

I have devised the projecting device I9 particularly for use in connection with the baseball game above described. However, it will be apparent that its field of application is not necessarily limited to that game and it may be employed in any similar game calling for the projection of a missile across a polished surface. Likewise, the batting device which is manipulated in an arc transversely of the path of the pitched missile may be utilized in connection with other types of baseball or similar games.

' I have illustrated and described my improvements in an embodiment which I have found highly satisfactory. I have not attempted to illustrate 0r describe other embodiments or adaptations as it is believed that this disclosure Will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt my improvements as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In combination, a rectangular game board having a smooth playing surface surrounded by a retaining wall, said surface having indicia impressed thereon for use in playing a game closely simulating baseball, and a one-piece batting or propelling device pivotally mounted on said retaining wall at one corner thereof and movable angularly equal distances on both sides of a line diagonal of the board and extending through said corner to intersect the path of a missile traveling toward the device, said device having angular stops adapted to engage said wall to limit'the angular movement thereof, a depending finger of spring metal at the free end ofsaid device for causing a missile striking the linger to rebound therefrom, and an arcuate guide rail connectedat its ends to said retaining wall for guiding and slidably supporting the device during angular movement thereof.

taining wall at one corner thereof and movable angularly equal distances on both sides of a line diagonal of the board and extending through Said corner to intersect the path of a missile traveling toward the device, said. device having angular stops adapted to engage said Wall to limit the angular movement thereof, and an arcuate guide rail connected at its ends to said retaining wall 'for guiding and slidably supporting the device during angularA movement thereof.

3. In' combination, a rectangular .game board having a smooth playing surface surrounded by a retaining Wall, said surface having indicia impressed thereon for use in playing a game closely simulating baseball, and a one-piece batting or propelling device pivotally mounted on said retaining Wall at one corner thereof and movable angularly equal distances on both sides of a. line diagonal of the board and extending through said corner to intersect the path of a missile traveling toward the device, and an arcuate guide rail connected at its ends to said retaining Wall for guiding and s'lidably supporting the device during angular movement thereof.

4. In game apparatus oi' the type described, in combination, a game board having a smooth sur-y face provided with indicia for use in playing a game simulating baseball, said yboard having a retaining Wall surrounding the same, al batting device comprising a member pivotally mounted to the game board and adapted to be moved in an arc transversely of the path of movement of a missileapproachin'g the device, said path being substantially normal to said arc, and an arcuate guide element beneath said member to support and guide the same for pivotal movement.

FREEMAN R.. sTEARNs. 

